


Little Brother

by Cate_9xBlue



Series: Rocks, Wolves, and the Moon [3]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: AUNT ADIRA, Big bro Eugene, But he's Varian's so we love him anyways, Feral Varian, Gen, Hurt Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider, Hurt Varian (Disney), It's not all fun and games, Just a tad of kidnapping, Literally everyone has adopted him as their little brother it's insane, Little bro Varian, Protective Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider, Ruddiger is a gremlin, Set during my version of season 2, Team Awesome (Disney: Tangled), Team Awesome is back baby, Werewolf Curse, Werewolf Varian, no biggie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27514441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cate_9xBlue/pseuds/Cate_9xBlue
Summary: A Team Awesome food gathering expedition takes an interesting turn.
Relationships: Adira & Varian (Disney), Cassandra & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian
Series: Rocks, Wolves, and the Moon [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2000689
Comments: 28
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Currently hoping to (maybe?) add something new to this series every Wednesday, just because I didn't expect it to be this well received, and I am now in a constant state of coming up with new ideas for it. I really hope y'all like it!

* * *

“Control your raccoon, Varian!”

A rotten apple core narrowly missed the young alchemist’s head as he ducked, diving to take hold of the animal. 

“Sorry!” He exclaimed, wrapping Ruddiger safely in his arms from his position on the ground. “He’s just hungry!”

“He ate _everything!_ ” Lance cried. “The whole basket!”

“He likes apples!”

“EVERYTHING!”

“Relax,” Cass interjected, shooting the man a look. “It’s just the apples. We have other food.”

“But Rapunzel was gonna make apple _pie,”_ Lance whined, still shooting dirty looks at the boy and his rodent, who was squirming to get free. Varian ducked his head into Ruddiger’s fur.

“It’s not his fault,” Rapunzel tutted, glancing up from her sketchbook. “And Ruddiger’s a raccoon. He didn’t mean anything by it.” The raccoon stopped squirming just long enough to shoot Lance a mischievous look, then slipped from the boy’s arms and hurried to hide under the carriage. 

“YOU-!”

“Lance,” Eugene sighed, holding his hands up placatingly. “We can get more. How about Hairstripe and I go pick some? I saw an orchard a few yards back.” Varian’s face lit up, eyes widening with excitement and _awe._

“Of course, Flynn!” He exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. “Let me know if I should bring any supplies. For this-“ He winked at the man. “-adventure.”

“Right,” Eugene said hesitantly, glancing back at Rapunzel and Cass, who were barely holding in laughter. After everything that had happened lately, he’d almost forgotten about the whole _Flynn Rider superfan_ thing. He thought back to that satchel he’d kept close to him those first couple days, and hoped beyond all hope that he didn’t have that homemade sword in there. 

“Have fun, you two!” Rapunzel giggled, tilting her head so Eugene could land a kiss as he passed. He grabbed the empty basket from a still sulky Lance and beckoned for Varian to follow. 

“No supplies for this quest, pal. Just bring you.”

“Gotcha!” The boy dropped the bag he’d already begun packing and stood, dusting himself off. He left his apron folded neatly on top, but the goggles and the gloves stayed. The gloves were a near constant, and Eugene was pretty sure the goggles only left when the alchemist slept. Even that he wasn’t entirely certain of, because the teen always stayed up longer than any of them (even on _not_ full moon nights, he was a night owl) and when he woke up, his hair was wild enough that they very well could be hidden beneath. 

The boy trailed along behind him like an excited puppy (Eugene prided himself in his sense of humor), leaving behind the sounds of a whining Lance and the yell that followed, something clattering to the ground as Cass raised her voice in a threat. Eugene reached behind him and took the gloved hand, urging him on a bit faster. The quick pace continued until the yelling, and Rapunzel’s urgent attempts at peace, had faded into the wind, replaced with the soft rustling of leaves and the twittering of birds. 

“Team Awesome, back in action!” Varian announced to no one in particular. “Flynn Rider and his trusty sidekick, Varian- no, the _Alchemist,_ together on the adventure of a lifetime!”

“You’re not a sidekick,” Eugene chuckled, amused despite himself. “Team Awesome is a partnership, and nothing less.”

“I thought Lance was your partner?”

“The legendary Flynn Rider can have more than one partner,” he said with a shrug. “He has his strengths, and you have yours. Your science thing is a force to be reckoned with.” Varian beamed. Any attention his alchemy got, especially after the whole curse debacle, always made him swell with pride. 

“You think so?” He inquired excitedly, hurrying to walk in sync with his significantly longer legs. “I’ve been working on the goo traps so they’re more comfortable, and faster activating. A few too many times where Ruddiger lost some fur taught me that the stickiness needed to be toned down some, but trial and error is the key to scientific discovery.” Eugene nodded along, trying to keep up as the alchemist trailed off into a more specific explanation of the solution. He wasn’t dumb, despite what Cassandra might say, but he wasn’t _Varian_ smart. No one was Varian smart. 

“Have you ever thought to use those in a fight?” Eugene suggested, peering down at the boy out of the corner of his eye. Varian stilled for only a second, quickly recovering and jogging along beside him. 

“I suppose they could be useful,” he admitted. “Although… it would probably be better to _prevent_ the fight. Just stop it before it gets a chance to start.”

“Yeah, but sometimes those sorts of things are unpreventable,” Eugene reminded him. “Some people don’t think like you. They don’t have everyone’s safety and well-being at heart.”

“I know,” Varian mumbled, eyes flicking out to the trees. One hand raised to rub at his shoulder. 

_Oh._

_Eugene, you idiot._

Discussing violence and fighting with a boy who’d already experienced far too much of it in his young life? Really?

“Would you look at that!” He exclaimed, setting the basket down and startling the teen out of his daze. “We made it. And not a thieving raccoon in sight.”

“Ruddiger knows not to push too hard,” Varian said lightly, following the man as he examined the trees for a good one to start with. He selected a shorter one, handing over the basket and sizing it up as he readied himself for climbing. 

“If I throw them down, do you think you could catch them?” Varian gave him a funny look. 

“My dad has an apple orchard,” the boy reminded him, stepping up to the tree and peering into its branches. “Maybe I can do the picking?”

“I guess that’d make sense,” Eugene agreed, accepting the basket back and watching as the boy shimmied onto the lowest branch. He stayed still for a second, finding his balance, then started his way toward the nearest apple. “You good?”

“I’m great!” Varian called back, tugging an apple off and examining it in the sunlight. “Here!” Varian leaned down and Eugene lifted the basket up, lowering it when he heard the soft _thump_ inside. “Don’t wanna toss them too far, or they’ll bruise.”

“Right.” Eugene looked out at the surrounding trees. It was a nice break. He loved the others, but with all the loud personalities in their merry band of travelers, it could get a bit overwhelming. For all his energy and excitement, Varian was probably the quietest out of all of them. Even now, he was working his way through the tree’s lower branches with a concentrated calm, not making any more noise than the bark creaking under his weight. 

Eugene was _really_ glad the teen was still around for little moments like these. Thoughts of the events that went down a little over a month ago still weighed heavy on his mind, watching the boy go about his day and laugh along with the others and realizing that, if Creighton’s aim had been a bit better, he wouldn’t be there with them. That they’d all be spending every waking moment regretting, and thinking of all the _what if’s,_ and dealing with the horrors of a child being murdered. 

His grip on the basket tightened. 

Varian made a noise of disgust, and his gaze returned to the branches. The boy had an apple in his grip, squeezed a bit too tightly, and evidently rotten if the juices leaking into his gloves were any indication. Eugene grimaced in sympathy. 

“Gross!” He groaned, dropping the fruit and shaking his hands out. His balance swayed briefly, but he steadied himself before anything could go wrong. When he pulled his hands back from the branch, bark came with. “Oh, _yuck!”_

“Getting a little sticky up there?” Eugene teased, laughing when the teen shot him an annoyed frown. 

“These are my only gloves,” he whined, staring down at his hands miserably. Eugene held out the basket. 

“Rapunzel can help you wash them later,” he assured him. “Here, drop them down. It’s a lot easier to wash skin than fabric if it happens again.” Varian pouted. 

“But-“

“They’re apples, buddy. They’re not gonna bite you.” Varian groaned dramatically. He leaned back against the tree, tugging his right glove off and tossing it down to the former thief, only just making it into the basket. He went to pull the other off and hesitated. “Not trying to rush or anything, but the longer we take, the more upset Lance is gonna be when we get back. Trust me, he’s no fun when he’s hangry.”

“Sorry,” Varian blurted, yanking the glove off and letting it fall into the grass. His left hand stayed glued to the branch, palm down, and he crawled forward for the next apple. Eugene hardly noticed, preoccupied with retrieving the offending garment with a huff. When he looked back up, the boy had another apple at the ready, one hand curled back against his chest in a fist. 

They were on the third tree when Varian stilled. Eugene was busy with the apple he’d decided wasn’t good enough to take back, and had elected to eat instead, and didn’t notice the way the boy stiffened, eyes focusing on the trees around them as he listened carefully. He was perched perfectly balanced, hands clinging to the branch, at attention like a deer trying to spot a hunter. If his ears weren’t so round and human, they probably would have turned and twitched with every noise he found. 

“Flynn!” He yelled just a second too late, an arrow whizzing past his face and shaving off the ends of his bangs. He fell back out of the tree with a start, landing hard on his back, and the wind was knocked out of him. Eugene dropped the basket, apples spilling everywhere, and he reached for his sword, backing up so he was blocking the boy. He gritted his teeth, eyes searching their surroundings, but he couldn’t find whatever Varian’s keen senses had picked up on. He was blind to the threat. 

“You better come out and get what’s coming to you!” He called loudly, sword held out in front of him. “Because you’ve just pissed me off, and I have a lot of people that will tell you that what follows is _not_ pretty!”

“Flynn!” Varian wheezed, pushing himself up on his elbows. Eugene held a hand behind him. 

“Stay down, Varian. I’ve got you.”

“Wait-“ A fist came out of nowhere, colliding with the side of his skull and sending him down so fast he could hardly process Varian’s panicked- 

“EUGENE!”

* * *

When he came to, he could tell his wrists were bound. He’d woken up enough times in this situation that the predicament didn’t exactly worry him, so much as it concerned him, because he didn’t recall how he’d gotten in it. He’d turned over a new leaf, been living the Royal life with the good guys. He wasn’t tangling with the sorts of people that did this anymore. 

Then he remembered a panicked squeaky voice, and he shot up so fast that his head throbbed. The same voice was somewhere nearby, talking to him, but the noises were distorted by the pain. He groaned, going to hold his head, but _oh yeah, ropes around the wrists._ At least they weren’t handcuffs. 

“Varian?” He tried, voice cracking from disuse. The voice stopped, and the sound of fabric shuffling replaced it. An irritated cry followed. “Varian? Buddy?”

“I’m here,” came the weak reply. The pain in the boy’s voice was enough to wake him up more. He peeled his eyes open and ignored the way the sunlight made his head spin, focusing on the teen sitting a few feet away. His wrists were bound as well, along with his ankles (Eugene tiredly came to the conclusion that his were too), and rope burns were already forming on his pale skin. His hands were clenched tightly together, refusing to part. The boy’s bright blue eyes were panicked and wide, searching his face for a coherency that he needed desperately. Whether he found it or not, Eugene couldn’t tell. 

“Hey,” Eugene grunted, pushing himself up into a sitting position. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Varian replied, but the dark bruise blossoming along the edge of his jaw begged to differ. The boy still looked winded from when he’d fallen, and his bad shoulder was slouching more than usual, indicating he’d probably jostled it when he hit the ground. His breathing was coming out in shallow, quick successions, and Eugene realized that he wasn’t used to this like he was. Varian had never been kidnapped before. _Oh, shit._

“It’s okay,” he assured him, wincing as he shifted and the world spun again. “You’re gonna be okay. It’s been a while since we left. Cass’ll show up ready to snap some necks in no time.” Varian didn’t look comforted at the thought. He shrunk into himself, eyes squeezing shut. “Hey, look at me, Goggles. We’re gonna get through this.”

“Yeah,” Varian agreed, but he didn’t sound like he meant it. He forced his eyes open regardless, focusing on the man in front of him. “Yeah, okay.”

“Did you get a good look at who jumped us?” Eugene started, figuring he might as well figure out their situation. Law enforcement from somewhere he was still wanted? Old enemies?

“Mmhmm. Thieves. Half a dozen of them. Knocked you out, then grabbed me.” Eugene groaned. Was the great Flynn Rider really so out of practice that he could be taken out by a couple petty thieves? Another heavy breath broke him from his thoughts. Varian’s eyes had slid out of focus, staring into nothing. His slight frame was trembling. 

“Woah, hey,” Eugene said quickly. “Focus on me, remember? Don’t panic. Panicking won’t get us anywhere.”

“I know,” Varian whined, eyes squeezing shut again as his hands clenched tighter. A particularly heavy breath morphed into a low growl. _Oh, SHIT._

“OH!” Eugene mentally slapped himself. “No no no. Hey, just stay calm. I’m right here. You’re not alone, okay? Varian. Varian, just stay in the moment.”

“I don’t _like the moment,”_ came the forced reply, shoved through aggressively clenched teeth. 

“Of course you don’t!” Eugene agreed, floundering. “And that’s okay! Think of another moment, how about that? A happy moment. Don’t think about this moment.”

“I’m trying!” Varian cried, panicked tears gathering on his lower lashes. Eugene wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug him, but his current position, and possible concussion, didn’t allow for it. The most he could do was shuffle closer, kicking his legs out and resting his foot against the boy’s knee. It seemed to help at least a little, as the growls faded back into quick, anxious breaths. 

“There you go,” Eugene said, breathing out a sigh of relief. Varian didn’t look as relieved, but he also didn’t look on the verge of a meltdown, so he counted it as a win.

The moment was interrupted by the rustling of bushes, and the former thief’s head snapped in that direction. People he’d never seen before emerged. 

“Oh, hey handsome,” one crooned, shooting him a wink. He sneered. Normally, he’d flirt right back, but he had a _girlfriend,_ and these people had just sent Varian into a panic. Not okay in his book. 

“We don’t have anything valuable,” he snapped. “Let us go, and we won’t report you.”

“Hate to disagree, but there were _quite_ a few things on you that were pretty valuable,” the second argued, rifling through his pockets. He procured a ring, simple in all assets aside from the gorgeous gemstone crafted into it. Eugene’s heart dropped. He felt Varian stiffen beside him. 

“Is that an engagement ring?” The boy inquired, fear leaving his voice briefly to give way to pure curiosity. Eugene winced. 

“Maybe?” The boy’s eyes grew wide, realizing what Eugene carrying around an engagement ring could possibly mean. 

“A really nice one, too,” the thief complimented, examining it in the light. “Too nice. So you either stole it, or you’re really freaking wealthy. Looking at you, I can’t really tell.”

“What’s it to you?” He asked defensively. He’d bought it, of course, but he didn’t want them thinking he could lead them back to some fortune. 

“Doesn’t matter to us,” one of the others admitted. “It’ll sell for a lot either way.”

“And these,” the first continued, reaching into a satchel and pulling out a pair of goggles. _Varian’s_ goggles. “These could fetch a pretty penny.”

“Give them back!” The boy demanded, surging forward, only to fall face first into the grass. The strangers burst into laughter. 

“Kind of old and dinged up,” she continued, holding them out lazily. “But made of a nice material. Somebody could melt down the metal, maybe.”

“NO!” Varian squirmed, trying to get back up, but between his wrists and his ankles, he was helpless. “Please! Give them back! They’re my Mom’s!”

“Sentimental value adds to sell price,” the second added, peering over her shoulder at them. Eugene glared at them, faltering only when he heard a dangerous growl from beside him. Luckily, the few thieves were too busy discussing their finds to notice. He cleared his throat, stretching out his foot to press gently into the boy’s side, trying to keep him from going over the edge. 

“Guys!” A new voice called out, emerging from the surrounding shrubbery. “You’ll never guess who this guy is!”

“Who, scruffy beard?”

_Ouch._

“He’s _Flynn Rider,_ ” the newcomer revealed, holding out a wanted poster. “The master thief? Wanted in kingdoms all the way from here to Italy?”

“Holy- you serious?”

“Dead serious.”

“Do you know how much he’s worth??”

“Varian,” he mumbled, trying his hardest to get closer without them noticing. “Just stay calm. They’re not gonna get away with it. I promise, it’s gonna be fine.” Varian didn’t respond, face smooshed uncomfortably into the dirt. The boy’s frame was trembling again. 

“What’s this?” One of the strangers leaned down, grabbing Varian by his sleeve and hoisting him up. He yelped, twisting in their grip, but they held him steady. “You having a fit?”

“Something weird’s going on with that kid’s eyes,” the second observed, pointing a finger accusingly. 

“Nuh-uh. Looks normal to me.”

“Now wait a second.” The woman holding the boy took his hand that had fallen loose when he’d hit the ground, peering at it curiously. At the mark on his palm. “I swear I’ve seen one of these before.”

“Lemme see it.” Eugene’s heart was in his throat. He didn’t have his sword anymore, because of course they weren’t dumb enough to leave it on him, but if he didn’t move quick, things were gonna go downhill _fast._ He’d promised the boy he’d get him out of here safely. He had to help him. He had to-

Several things happened in short succession. Varian’s wide blue eyes were swallowed by a deep red, teeth sharpening into canine-length fangs. The thieves cursed loudly, shocked and horrified at the sight. And, one by one, they were knocked down by- _someone._

Eugene didn’t waste any time, shuffling to where the boy had fallen and trying his best to help him up, or _something._ But Varian was writhing on the dirt floor, ignoring his attempts in favor of getting himself back to his feet. Sharp teeth gnashed in his direction, lashing out mindlessly. 

“Varian! It’s okay, they’re gone! They’re-“ They must not have all been gone, because a kick landed against the side of his face, right over where he already had a nasty bruise, and he hit the dirt without another word. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new face brings about discord within the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The people have spoken. The goddess herself has arrived.

* * *

  
The night breeze was cool against Varian’s face, cutting in from between the trees. He could faintly see the light of the campfire through the edge of the trees, and make out the low voices around it, but he was trying to tune all that out. Eugene was inside with Rapunzel, still out from earlier, and the thought of it was enough to send his stomach rolling. Lance and Cass had tried to keep the mood up for him by the fire, coming up with stories to tell, but with both their best friends inside and them not making the best team, it had ended in an argument between the pair, where he’d stealthily made his escape. 

He just… couldn’t take it. The suffocating worry that turned the air stale and wrapped a bony hand around his throat. It was too much, especially around the others. He’d hardly been coherent during the fast downhill shitshow that was their so called “escape” earlier, and when he’d been back in his right mind he was already somehow back at the carriage. It was all just a big mess, and Eugene was hurt badly enough that he hadn’t woken up yet, and he had been absolutely _no_ help. If anything, he’d made the situation worse. 

He groaned, hiding his face in his bare palms. 

“You’ve changed since we last met, Varian.”

“Gah!” He cried out, tipping sideways and tumbling out of his sitting position. He caught himself just barely, turning to face the owner of the voice. What he found was the strangest looking woman he’d ever seen. 

“To a certain degree, that is to be expected,” she continued, peering down at him from her impressive, intimidating height. A sword that looked about as tall as him hung across her back. Her entire look screamed _‘not to be messed with’_ , from the half of her face that was the same shade as fresh blood, to the armor that probably could have crushed him, but looked like it weighed nothing to her. Even her seemingly well-meaning smile sent shivers down his spine. “After all, you were just a baby.” She tilted her head as he hurried to his feet. “You’re shorter than I expected you’d be.”

“You’re the person who saved us,” he recalled. She hummed in acknowledgment. 

“That I did. Tell me, how did Quirin’s son become the host of such an ancient and powerful magic?” He flinched, blue eyes growing wide, and she held her hands out placatingly. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to do you in. You’re lucky I’ve learned a thing or two in my travels. But really, how _did_ that happen?” She crossed her arms, raising her brow curiously. A teasing smile played at her lips. “I always assumed he’d turn out to be one of those protective, overbearing parents.”

“He is,” he blurted, before slapping his hands over his mouth, cheeks burning red. The woman laughed, throwing her head back with the sound. He found himself laughing as well, albeit softer and more hesitant. “How- how do you know my father?”

“You could say he’s my brother,” she offered, shrugging slightly. “We were raised together, and trained together. We fought alongside one another as members of the Brotherhood of the Dark Kingdom.” Varian’s mouth fell open, mind racing. 

“He- never mentioned any siblings.”

“No?” The woman almost looked a bit insulted, but she hid it well. “Well, I suppose I should be grateful he mentioned the Brotherhood at all. Last we spoke, he seemed like he was planning to hide his past from you.”

“He did,” he admitted, eyes darting away. He wrapped his arms around himself, tensing. “He only told me recently. After… after a lot of stuff went down. We were supposed to stop hiding things from each other.” Something dark passed over the boy’s features, eyes hardening the slightest bit, and the woman took a step forward. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take it up with him next I see him,” she assured him, extending a hand. “Adira.”

“Varian,” he returned, accepting the hand and trying to hide his wince at how strong her grip was. “Although, you already know that. So, if you’re my dad’s sister, does that make you my aunt?” She regarded him thoughtfully, pulling her hand back. After a moment’s awkward silence (at least on his end), she nodded. 

“I suppose it does.”

“I’ve never had an aunt before,” he said sheepishly, kicking his foot against the dirt. “Actually, I’ve never really had much extended family at all. Just me and my dad. No grandparents, or- or anything.” Adira frowned. 

“Your mother?”

“Died when I was little.” His newly found aunt seemed saddened by this news, and he wondered if she’d been close with his mother, or if even she hadn’t known about his father’s past. He decided she had to have. Not telling your kid was one thing, but your wife? No way his dad would have gone that far. 

“Sorry to hear,” she said. “She was a kind woman. Had a lot of spunk, kept Quirin on his toes. I liked her.” He found himself smiling. “I’m guessing, if what I’ve seen so far means anything, that you’ve given him a bit of a rough time too. Good. Always hoped someone would test that eternal patience of his.” He snorted, then brushed it off as a cough. 

“You could say that.” He clasped his hands together, twirling his thumbs. It still felt weird without his gloves, but there was nothing that could be done. They’d been lost alongside all those apples they’d been picking. “So, any other mystery family I should know about?” Adira seemed taken off guard by this question, something flashing over her face, but it was gone in an instant. 

“Just Hector.”

“Hector?”

“Our other brother,” she explained. “There were three in the Brotherhood.”

“Were?” Varian asked hesitantly. 

“I… haven’t seen him in a long time. We didn’t exactly part on the best of terms.” 

“Oh.” Before he could ask any other questions, there was a cry of alarm. The next thing he knew, he was on his bottom, someone holding their arm out in front of him, and Adira was blocking an attack. 

“Who are you?!” Cass demanded, sword pointed at the stranger’s face. “What were you going to do with him?!”

“Cassie!” Varian yelled, but he couldn’t get to her with Lance blocking his way. “Cassie, wait! She wasn’t going to hurt me!”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” she spat, glaring daggers at Adira. “Last time some mystery woman showed up, you know what they did? They tried to _kill you._ And have you gotten a good look at her? A hunter if I ever saw one.”

“I am a warrior,” Adira shot back, returning the woman’s glare. 

“She’s not here to kill me,” Varian cried, scratching at Lance’s arm. “She’s who saved us! She’s my aunt!” Cass let her guard down for a second, surprise lighting her face, but then she was right back where she started. 

“Likely story.”

“She knows my dad!” Varian continued, struggling against his friend. “I swear! She’s one of the Brotherhood!”

“No need to feel alarmed,” Adira assured him, looking Cass over with disinterest. “I could take her with my arms tied behind my back.”

“Go ahead and try.” Cass surged forward, and Adira held her arms behind her back, throwing her foot out and kicking the sword right out of the girl’s grasp. As Cass floundered, Adira just held out her hand, displaying the symbol etched onto the back. 

“Are we done here?”

“What’s going on?” Rapunzel called, following from where Cass and Lance had come from. She was supporting the weight of her - _very awake-_ boyfriend, as though he weighed nothing. Varian finally managed to push past Lance, and went straight for the couple. 

“EUGENE!” Rapunzel stumbled back a bit at the sudden weight flung around their waists, but she held steady, smiling tiredly at the boy. Eugene ruffled his hair with a lazy grin. 

“Hey Hairstripe,” he greeted, eyes drooping but _open._

_Gosh, he was okay!_

“I’m so sorry!” The teen cried, burying his face in the man’s shirt. “I- I panicked! They were gonna turn you in, and then they noticed the- the-“

“Hey, it’s okay,” Eugene assured him. “That was a totally normal reaction.” He paused. “Okay, maybe it wasn’t necessarily a _normal_ reaction, but it was a justified one. It was a high stress situation. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But you got hurt!” Varian protested, backing off as he remembered the injuries, guilt flashing over his face. “I should have listened to you!”

“Woah, hey,” the man said. “You’re the one that warned me in the first place. You were paying attention to your surroundings, and I wasn’t.”

“A great load of help that was,” he huffed, shrinking into himself. “I was totally useless. I’m no good in a fight.” Eugene frowned, but it came across as more of a grimace, and the boy’s heart sank. He turned away before the man could continue and curled his arms around his ribs, closing himself off from any further conversation. 

“Princess,” Adira said, breaking the tense silence that followed with a softer look than before. “It is my understanding that you wish to seek out the Dark Kingdom. I was hoping to provide you with some crucial information.” Rapunzel raised an eyebrow, peering at her curiously. 

“We already have information,” she replied vaguely, tilting her head. “What did you want to tell us?”

“I realize now that you may have already talked to Quirin, but he is known for glazing over certain details.” No one noticed the teen’s wince, focused on the warrior as she plowed on. “My name is Adira of the Dark Kingdom. I am a member of the Brotherhood, pledged to protect the Moonstone. And since you are the Sundrop, it is my intention to protect you as well.” Curiosity won out in the battle of the princess’s will, and her face slid into an excited smile. Cass’s scowl only grew, squinting suspiciously at Adira. 

“We should take this to the fire, where it’s warm,” she offered, adjusting her hold on Eugene as he tried to steady himself on his feet. Adira just nodded in response, following the couple as they hobbled back to camp. Lance followed after, easily dropping any suspicion once the princess had decided in the lady’s favor, but Cass held back, stopping Varian with a hand on his shoulder. His flinch was enough for her to pull away, grimacing in sympathy. 

“Sorry,” she offered lamely, frowning as he rubbed at the offending spot. Once she was sure she hadn’t hurt him, her face hardened back into a scowl. “Why are you so quick to trust her? Rapunzel is one thing, but you? I’d think you would be more cautious than anyone.” Varian’s eyes grew, and he ducked his head sheepishly. 

“I- I dunno. I just… believe her. She says she’s my dad’s sister, and she already knew my name. It _feels_ like I’ve known her my whole life.”

“Ever consider that she might be someone who did their research before coming after you?” She suggested harshly. At the boy’s startled expression, she sighed. “Look, I just don’t want to see you get hurt. I promised Raps’s dad that I’d keep her safe, but I also promised yours.” She gave him a half smile. “Wouldn’t be doing a very good job of that if I let you get killed off so quickly, would I?”

“Maybe,” Varian started, then cut off, brow furrowing. His next words were harsher than she expected. “Maybe he wouldn’t need to worry so much if he actually bothered to tell me things. Maybe then, I wouldn’t get into so much trouble. If he was honest, like he _promised_ he’d be.”

“Kid-“ He bristled, eyes flashing dangerously, and she backed off. She’d pushed too hard. She always pushed too hard, didn’t she?

“I’m, uh, I’m gonna go and follow them. Get to talk to my aunt a bit. That way, I might make up for not knowing she existed until five minutes ago.” He brushed past her, hands wrapped over his biceps, and left her to her own devices. He found the group gathered around the fire, already in a discussion about far away kingdoms and ancient magics that he still didn’t know much about. That his dad apparently already knew everything about. He sat down on the log on the opposite side of the fire, only half listening. 

Eventually the voices broke off into separate discussions, and he realized it was nearly time to go inside. Before he could move, however, a sudden weight accompanied him on the log. He glanced up quickly, alert as ever, and found his aunt sitting beside him. She was looking him over thoughtfully. 

“I can train you,” she decided more than offered, nodding to herself. His brow scrunched together in confusion. 

“What?”

“You said you’re no good in a fight,” she reminded him. “You clearly wish that wasn’t the case. I can help you with that. If you’d like.”

“Like- like Brotherhood training?” She hummed, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. 

“If that’s what you want, yes. I was only a bit younger than you when I first started.” Her face turned serious and considering, watching him like a predator looking for weaknesses. “It’s not easy. You want easy, go to the guards of Corona. The training the knights of the Dark Kingdom undergo is individualized and intense. Not for the faint of heart.” Starry eyed, Varian nodded eagerly. 

“I’ve never been much of an ‘ _easy’_ guy,” he assured her, grinning. She chuckled, turning her face toward the fire. When she stood, she motioned for him to follow. He jumped to his feet as quickly as he could, then nearly fell right back down when she handed him her sword. 

“Hold this,” she told him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. He scrambled to keep the blade up, wheezing and puffing, but managed to somehow get it upright. It came up to his shoulders. 

Cass sat at the other side of the fire, watching the encounter with a tight-lipped frown. Very well, then. If Varian wasn’t going to be cautious, she’d have to be extra cautious for the both of them. 

There was no way she was letting him get hurt again.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m actually really glad people picked Adira (despite what I said last chapter) because as soon as I started thinking about it more, there is SO much more to do plot wise with Auntie Adira. I am a sucker for the Brotherhood lore, so this is actually gonna be way more fun to write. Family drama is, after all, the core of this series.


	3. IMPORTANT!

Heyo! I just wanted to let everybody know that I am NOT abandoning this, and I do have a lot planned out for this series. I’m taking a break from posting and writing in general because school is absolutely killing me, and I’m at that crucial point in college applications and scholarships and stuff. While I’d much prefer to be writing and sharing with you all, this stuff is (unfortunately) pretty important and needs to be done. I plan to get back into writing after Christmas, once I’ve already submitted and completed all the college stuff and I’ve caught up and gotten to a good point with my regular school assignments. It was hard to make this decision, because posting and seeing your reactions and thoughts has been the highlight of my last couple months, but I promise I’ll be back once I’ve balanced everything out!

Thank you all so much for your support!!!

**Author's Note:**

> I've left the ending ambiguous because I actually wanted your input on it. I have two ways I'm thinking about taking this right now, and I wanted to know which you'd prefer.
> 
> 1\. Their savior is Adira. She steps in and Varian starts to look up to her as a mentor, which sets the stage for Cass and Eugene not trusting her because they're kinda jealous at him looking up to someone else he's only just met, especially someone who claims to be his "aunt."
> 
> 2\. Their savior is a love interest. They show up and save them, and Varian not only looks up to them but crushes super hard, and then they start reciprocating those feelings and suddenly Varian's spending all his time with them. Cass and Eugene still don't trust this person, because they've come out of nowhere and are helping and "mentoring" him, but also because they don't want to see him hurt.
> 
> If y'all want the second one, Adira's still gonna come in later on, so don't worry. And I'm gonna be honest, I am leaning more toward the second one, but I'm worried about it coming off as cliche so I really wanted your opinions on it. (Special bonus to the second one is that trust issues ensue)
> 
> Please let me know what you think in the comments!;)


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